In a world of duels and mysterious mythology, it takes a true Prince to unleash the sword that wins the Rose Bride. Today we unveil these Utena and Anthy cosplays!
Revolutionary Girl Utena is a fantastical and confusing anime. The storyline is far from linear, and the characters are always alluding to a backstory that never quite reveals itself coherently. Through manga and anime, the story of Utena is one fraught with peril, romance, and an eternal struggle to discover who we truly are. This week we’re unveiling some stunning Utena and Anthy cosplays!
This month we’ve dived into the world of LGBTQ+ representation in video games, pop culture, anime, and beyond. It’s harder to find this representation in pop-culture in the USA, but Utena is one of the first examples I can remember experiencing as a kiddo. I strongly identified with Utena, floating back and forth between feminine and more fluid archetypes.
Utena and Anthy Cosplays by SailorMappy and PiruPiru Cosplay
The tale of Utena has been told in a variety of formats, but the story continues to live on in pop-culture. It even got so far as to become a musical (or a few!)
Utena… THE MUSICAL? Yes please. Give me ALL the Drama! (And Shoulder Pads!)
Though their relationship is murky at best, and the anime even more so, we can’t have a Pride month celebration without taking a moment to appreciate these ladies who have had us asking questions since the early ’90s. Today we’re featuring not only a very screen accurate adaptation of Utena and Anythy, but the most decadent version I have ever seen. In a stunning traditional Indian cosplay, TM Liza Cosplays gives Anthy a new, regal ambiance. Her Utena, Many Worlds Cosplay, is giving some serious Versailles vibes as well. We hope you adore these Utena and Anthy cosplays!
Utena and Anthy Cosplays by Many Worlds Cosplay and TM Liza Cosplays, Photography by Amie E.
“I came to save you. I came here to meet you. So don’t be afraid of this world where we’ll meet… Himemiya!”
“People find it hard to doubt those they’ve fallen in love with. They can’t even imagine they’re being deceived and used.”
“I don’t want the power to revolutionize the world, but Himemiya needs me!”
“If you won’t defend your precious things, people will take them from you.”
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I am the Rose Bride. I must do whatever the winner of the duels tells me to do.”
“When everything around you is impure, you have no choice but to become impure yourself.”
“I guess, in the end, I couldn’t be a prince. Forgive me, Anthy, for pretending to be a prince.
“You really don’t know what happened, do you? It doesn’t matter. By all means, stay in this cozy coffin of yours and continue to play prince. But I have to go now. She’s not gone at all, she merely vanished form your world. Farewell.”
“Believe in miracles, and they will know your feelings.”
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“Ancient creatures died and left naught but fossil fuels, like coal and petroleum. Without that sacrifice, our present energy civilization would not exist. That sort of sacrifice is what is always demanded.”
“I feel it’s hard for me to deal with a place where there are so many people. Somehow, they all start to look the same, and that frightens me.”
“Women who cannot become princesses have no choice but to become witches.”
“Without power, you’re doomed to become dependent on others, that’s the way the world works.”
“Open your heart and talk to people, and anybody would accept you, I’m sure.“
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“Maybe I don’t know anything about Himemiya! But what I’m doing now is taking back who I used to be!“
“Miss Tenjou, don’t you think this is strange? She could die. Why does she fight on? It’s over, Miss Tenjou. But… I’ve seen this before. I know what this is.”
“Because I am the Rose Bride… I thought that no matter what befell my body, my heart wouldn’t feel the pain.”“You remind me so much of Dios when I loved him. “
“I used to think that sincerity was valuable…and that it was the one and only way to change the world. But sincerity by itself changes nothing.“
“Without power, one finds themself merely depending on others to live. I’ve taken enough risks to buy the power to change the world. That’s how the world works.“
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“Even if I’m not worthy of you, please, be with me for at least this instant.“
~Join us next week for more Cosplay Coverage~
Have a Cosplay question you would like Mayhem’s Muse to answer? Know a Cosplayer you’d like to see featured?
Jennifer aka "Mayhem's Muse" is the Cosplay Editor for BoLS and manages Ad Sales and Communications. Her cosplay awards include the RTX Judge's Choice Award and Dragon's Lair Austin's Cosplay Symposium.
Jennifer has been a Cosplay Guest Judge at RTX, Tacticon and Genghis Con in Colorado. She regularly attends conventions to cover cosplay for BoLS. Her cosplay work has been featured in publications such as Girls Who Love Monsters, Geek Fuel, and Renaissance Magazine. Jennifer has modeled in the Her Universe Fashion Show, Precision Camera's yearly Precision Camera University, and has taught several workshops for photographers about partnering with cosplayers and creative muses/models.
Jennifer is a lifelong enthusiast of retro video games and loves Dungeons & Dragons, urban fantasy, tabletop games, VR technology, and historical archery. She has set National Records through USA Archery’s Traditional Division for Asiatic Bows and earned 4th Place in the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan in 2018 for Women’s Korean Archery. Jennifer is currently studying for her Masters's Degree in Organizational Leadership.
